The term "mode" as used herein will include, for example, the processes of taring, calibrating, weighing, counting and determining whether the scale has come to a stand-still position. The operating parameters included herein comprise parameters such as integration time and weighing range. For purposes of this invention as claimed, the term "modes" must be understood to include parameters. Further, the above mentioned modes and parameters will very seldom all be present or selectable in one and the same scale. On the other hand, modes and parameters not mentioned above may well be included in a particular application.
In conventional scales, a separate selecting element is generally provided for selecting each mode or parameter. For example, one switch may be provided for taring, one for calibrating, and another for switching from the weighing to the counting mode or from one to another weighing range. Still another separate selecting element may be provided for switching a stand-still control on or off. Step switches are generally provided to change the integration time or the sensitivity of the stand-still control. Such conventional scales thus require a multiplicity of selection elements, thus not only increasing the expense of the apparatus but also increasing the difficulty of operating the scale, since, each time, the relevant selecting element must be individually chosen and operated.